Mechanical can-roller.



M. D. BLAKESLEE. MECHANICAL CAN ROLLER. APPLIUATIDN FILED AUG. 17, 1907,

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

2 SHBBTB-SHEET 1.

M. D. BLAKESLEE.

MEUHANIGAL CAN ROLLER. APPLIoA'rxoN FILED um. 1v. 1907.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. T7, Jil/g, 5

MECHANICAL CAN-ROLLER.

Spectcation of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 17, 1907. Serial No. 388,978.

To all wlwm 'it may concern:

'lle it known that I` non, i Cazenovia, in thecount-y of Madison, in th. vState of 'New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Cau-ltollers, of which the following, taken in connection with the' aeeompanyin drawings1 is a full, clear, and exact description.

, This invention relates to certain improvements in mechanical can rollers of the class srt forth in my Patent No. 876,291, issued January NOS, in which the em ty cans may be promiscoously dumped and iposited in quantities, and are. automatically separated or selected, and fed by gravity, one by one, either by allowing them to slide cndwise or sidewise down an inclinedehute, and are caused to automatically' adjust-themselves to a rolling position in a second inclined chute, from which they roll successively onto a suitable convoyer= or to a righting device, not shown.

In the ractical operation of the device set forth in my patent previouslyr referred to, I have discovered that sometimes, but not frequently, the cans will lodge at the junotion of the hopper Vith the inclined chute7 i or in the chute in such manner as to prevent^ the automatic feeding of such cans by gravity, resulting in the congestion of the cans at such point and necessitatin watchfulness and readjustinent of the cans'lvy the attendant.

.lhe object of my present invention is to avoid these diilieulties and to render the device entirely automatic and reliable without necessitating r the careful watehfulness of an attendant. This object is carried out by providing a vertically movable agitator in the bottom of the hopper near its junction with the inclined chute, and by providing an additional trippingr finger movable through one, side of the chute to prevent overturning of the cans, one upon the other while lin transitY along said chute.

A further object. is action of the tripping by bringing the 'actuating closer roximity thereto.

ln t e drawings-Figure 1 is a top plan of a. mechanical can roller similarl to that set forth in my patent referred to except that the movable part of the ho per is omitted. Fig. 2 is a side elevation o the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bop plan, partly in section, of a portion of the lnclined chute to render the alternate lingers more positive elements into MERTON D. BEAM-2s leading from the hop 1er showing the triping mechanisms an guide for the cans. tiff. 4 is'a sectional view of the chute and additional tripping device taken on lino 4-ft, Fig. 2, except that a greater portion of the-chute is shown inV top plan. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5dr?, Fig. l, except thatthe agitator arm is shown in full lines. l

The empty cans are deposited promish cuously, by hand, or otherwise, into a suitable hopper --1-, and are` fedby gravity therefrom upon the bottom of an inclined chute --2- along wl to slide upon their ein s, being trippedso as to fall upon their sides, in 'which position all of the cans disc-har e ends-foremost from the chute onto an underlying ledge of less 4than half the width of the cans, and are thereby caused to tilt to a rolling position into an additional inclined chute in the same manner and for the same purpose as set. forth in my patent previously' referred to. As the cans are fed into the hopper UL-- they lodge against an unight wall -Am where they are agitated y a reciproeatory bar -4.- having pendent agitating lingers -5- which engage and arrange the cans llen thwise on the inclined bottom oF the nnder ying chute "l-. the opposite sides el the opper being inclined dowrnvardly so 1u; to cause the cans to slide by gravity into the upper end ot said chute.Y at. whiunpond. they ich the)1 are adapted Patented J an. 4, 1910.

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the shaft Thto prevent. rang .on ol cans. and to faei.itate their arrangement singl)r in said chute. The revolving linger ti-.- traverses the. upper side of the chut'y at its junction with the hopper in a pl....= just above the calls when on the buio-ui of the chute, thereby brushing the so nerilnfmA cans back from the mouth of the. chute Aand kce in r them arranged singly therein so as bo eedaby gravity in succession. Asa fuitherqprotection against the congestion .of the cans at the junction of the hopper with the chute, I provide the inclined bottom of one 'side of the hopper with a vertically movable agitator --8, as best. seen in l1` igs. 1 and 5f, said a itator being located just. above the mouth o the chute and consists o a lever ivobed at -9- in the adjacent side of tfhe oiper -1- and having its lower endbroa cned and flattened to nearer the width of the .chute so as to agitato or brush the superfluous cans away from said juno los tion, or back up into the hopper to alloW the underlying cans to arrange themselves into` the chute, the upper end of said agitator or lever beimr extended laterally through the adjacent side of the hopper in the path of a revolving cam or eccentric 10 which is mounted on a revolving shaft 1l and operates to rock the agitator 8 upon its pivot Q at regular intervals. This shaft --1l is driven by a chain -l3 from a driving shaft I4- which is also connected by a chain 15 to a shaft 16 the latter being provided with intermcshing gears l7 for transmitting motion to the shaft 7-- of the revolving agitating linger G The reciprocatory agitator bar 4 is actuated from the shaft 11 through the medium of a lever 18 which is pivotcd at 19- to the hopper 1 and has one end eccentrically connected to a dislr 90 on the shaft M while its other end is pivotally connected to the sliding bar L1- as best seen in Fig. 2.

lt is obvious from the foregoing descrip tion that the agitators lt 6 and S- are synchronized in their` movements and are all driven .troni the same driving shaft M A pair of reciprocatory escapcment pins Q and a are guided in one side of the chute Q and are actuated laterally to cause the cans to feed one by one down along the bottom of the inclined chute 2 said pins beimr mounted upon the opposite ends of the ever b which is pivotcd at 21- to a bracket 22 on the adjacent side of the hopper Q and is provided with a laterally projecting arm S33- This arm 23 is connected by a link 24 to a bell-crank lever 25 the latter being pivoted atA E26 to a bracket QT-i on the adjacent side of the hopper l a nd is provided with a roller 28 which is engaged by a rotary cam 29- on the shaft 16 for rocking the bell-crank 25 and transmitting similar motion through the link Q4- to the lever b .thereby alternately moving the pins or. tingers a and M into and out of the path of succeeding cans, the cam 29- opverating the lever b in one direction, which lever is actuated in the opposite direction by a spring 30 as best seen in F igs. 2 and 3. As a further means for preventing lod ment of one can upon the other as they sli e down the chute 2 I provide an additional reciprocatory linger 31 which is also guided in the adjacent side of the chute 2 and is actuated by a lever 32 and cam or eccentric 33 said lever being pivoted at 34 while the cam -33 is secured to the rotary shaft -7 as best seen in Figs. 2 and 4. This finger -31-'is located in a plane above the fingers ca and a and is positioned so as to engage and tilt: the cans which are on end over on their sides, and at the same time is sullicient ly elevated above the bottoni of the chute to allow the cans which are sliding upon their sides to ass thereunder, and a so to engage and hold) back any cans which may overlap one upon the other, thereby allowinar said cans to feed, one by one, alon the cliute. It for any reason the cans shou d not engage the linger 31-- and slide along the bottom of the chute on end, the lower end of the can will encounter the tripping stops 35 which are secured to the bottom of the chute in advance of the lingers a a' and 31 thereby causing the momentum of the can to overturn it and causing it to fall upon its side on the bottom of the chute 2 in which position it discharges itself end first upon an underlying ledge 86 of less than half the diameter of the can, which causes the can to tilt laterally upon its side into a rolling position upon the bottoni of an underlying inclined chute 3S as best seen in Fig. 2, the latter chute leading to a can righting device not shown` Aside from the agitator --S and its actuating mechanism together with the additional escape linger and plunger 3l and its actuating mechanism and also the actuating mechanism for the fingers Q and a the hopper and ciiutes and other parts associated therewith are the same as in my patent previously referred to and it is believed to be unnecessary to further describe the same.

It is obvious from the foregoinfr description that although the cans are p accd promiscuously into the hopper 1 they are fed oneby-one, by ravity along the bot tom of the inclined c lute 2 and are discharged one-byone, successively in a rollingposition upon the inclined chute 38 where they are rolled successively into a suitable righting device, or upon any other available su port; where it may be desired to arran e t 1e cans side by side in rows. K

What claim is:

1. In a mechanical can roller, a hopper and an inclined chute leadin therefrom, in combination with a vertice y vibratory agitator-arm at the bottom of one of the inclined sides of the hopper ad'acent. toits junction with the chute, an actuating means for the agitator arm.

2. In a mechanical can'roller, a hopper and an inclined chute leading therefrom, a verticallT vibratory arm' extending along one of t e inclined sides of the hopper adjacent to the chute and having a flaring lower end, and means for vibrating the arm.

3. In a. mechanical can roller, a ho per and an inclined chute leading there rom, a vertically vibratory arm pvotedto the and out of the chute in a plane above thelirst-namcd pins, and actuating means for the last named pin.

In a mechanical can roller, a hopper and an inclined chute leading therefrom, a rotar),r sweep traversing the upper end of the chate al its junction with the hopper, driving;l means lor said sweep, a pair of esV capi-ment pins movable through one side of the chute and alternately into engage ment with successive cans to canse. the latter to gravitate one by one along said chute,

connections hetween said pins, and driving mechanism for actuating.: the pins, and an additional reci]nocator)v pin morahle in the same side ol' the chute in a plane above the first named pins, and into and ont of engagement with the upper ends of the cans when moving *along the, chute, and means actuated bi said driving mechanism for actuating tie last named pin.

(l. In a mechanical can roller, a reciprocatory agitator movable along one side 0f the ho per, a vertically movable agitator pivote to one of the inclined sides o* the a hopper and extlndihg into proximity to thechute, a rotar)` shalt, means actuated hy the shalt for o )el-:lling the lirst nanled agitator, additional means actuated hy said shall for operating;r the second agitator, a rotary linger at thevjnnellolrof the hopper and ehnte and traveling across the low end of .said arm, means fo actuating rthe linger. a pair'of eseapement pins movable alternately into and ont`of engagement with the cans to cause them to feed one h v one along4 the chute. means for aetuatiug said pins, and an additional linger movable trails- \'ersely ol' the ehute in a plane ahove the lil-st named lingers, and means for actuating said additional linger.

T. In a mechanical can roller, a ho'pper into which the calls are deposited plpnnsele ously in qnantitiesan inclined chute leading from the hopper, a rotary linizer at the junction of the ehute with the hopper a driving shalt for said linger, a pin mova'lile transversely in the chute, and means actie ated hy said shaft t'or reciprocating said pin.

H, In a -meelninieal can roller, a hopper, an inclined chutey leadinf from the hopper, a pair of pins movable alternatelr hack and forth transversely of and within the chute, a rotary linger at the junction of-the. chute.

with the hopper, a driving shaft for said 'l linger, and means for transmitting motion from the shalt toisald pins. A

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th da v of August 1907.` i

lllllt'ltilN Il QITIAKICSLEE. Witnesses: ,f 7 H. E. CHASF. M. M. No'rr. 

